Your opinion on refrigeration press jaws RLS or Milwaukee

RayWohlfarth

I am looking to purchase some jaws for refrigeration pipe installs. I am torn between the RLS Klauke jaws or Milwaukee. Your opinion please

pecmsg

I have the Milwaukee system for water and gas. 

Haven’t invested in the refrigeration jaws. 

Few if any cutting burning requirements on the east end. 

mattmia2

Why not just get a hydraulic flare tool and do everything in flare?

RayWohlfarth

Thanks @pecmsg We have a dealt for water but its so heavy
@mattmia2 My installer thinks the press tool will be much quicker. Still debating it as we dont install as many split systems Thanks

pecmsg

The biggest savings will be in no fireguard(s) needed.

Mini in residential where's the savings? $14.00 for a 3/8" RLS flair fitting X 2. As opposed to making 2 flairs.

dko

Then there's also these..
https://rectorseal.com/products/pro-fit-quick-connect-group/
Quite popular, especially the couplings.
The sharkbite of refrigeration

As for the jaws.. what tool do you have? The M12 or M18? Or Ridgid?
If you know a local streamline acr distributor, show them this current promo (attached).

It's definitely worth it especially if you were going to fork over the money for the tool/jaws alone. At least you get a bunch of fittings out of it.

But you would be jumping ACR press fitting platform from RLS to Mueller ACR. Not interchangeable jaws. Though you'd be getting almost a lifetime of fittings if as you say you don't use it too often.

STEVEusaPA

I like the RLS ones. I borrow my brothers to use with my Ridgid if/when I need them.  Usually not much in residential and flares on mini splits. 

I’m not opposed to buying a set of jaws but it’s getting pricey-regular press jaws & tool $2900, $2400 for mega press set , then $1800 each for pex & $1800 for the RLS jaws?

leonz

I would never let anyone use a propress fitting in my home again after the clown plumbers I hired installed them on my boiler and they blew apart and flooded my laundry room and ran my well dry.

STEAM DOCTOR

There has got to be a back story. Press fittings (properly installed) don't just blow apart. 

STEVEusaPA

STEAM DOCTOR said:

There has got to be a back story. Press fittings (properly installed) don't just blow apart. 

I wouldn’t open that can of worms, lol

RayWohlfarth

Thank you sirs Sorry been out of the office for a few days.
@pecmsg we have Dewalt press tool for copper and then thing is heavy!!!
I was thinking the press tool for refrigerant tubing would be safer than brazing when using the flammable refrigerant It would also take less time. I spoke with an AC manufacturer and they said they are transitioning to just tubing stubs to allow for that install of the expanded tube you see on components.

ChrisJ

leonz said:

I would never let anyone use a propress fitting in my home again after the clown plumbers I hired installed them on my boiler and they blew apart and flooded my laundry room and ran my well dry.

STEVEusaPA said:

STEAM DOCTOR said:

There has got to be a back story. Press fittings (properly installed) don't just blow apart. 

I wouldn’t open that can of worms, lol

It is interesting they feel the press fitting was the issue and not the "clown plumbers".

We all know how good solder joints are when done improperly.........or any joint for that matter.

mattmia2

Flare costs less, it is fast if you use a hydraulic tool, there is no questionable plastic piece making the seal, and you don't lose a $15 fitting if you have to rework something.

mattmia2

Well there's something that shouldn't exist:
https://www.supplyhouse.com/Parker-Hannifin-871003-1-2-ZoomLock-MAX-SAE-Flare-MZK-F8-HNBR

PC7060

Does the community see a migration away from sweated joints on line sets? To either press or flare?  

GGross

PC7060 said:

Does the community see a migration away from sweated joints on line sets? To either press or flare?  

Yes considering mini split manufacturers often do not allow brazing their lines, still loads of brazing on standard A/C equipment. Most that are doing something other than brazing in my market are using flares, we have several using press, and a couple have used the pro-fit (installs like a sharkbite)

Personally I think a flare is fast enough that it outweighs the cost of press or pro-fit. Also when learning to flare since it is more involved there is more emphasis on doing things properly. With press/pro fit you always get guys that think they don't need to de-bur the pipe or cut it clean etc. Easier for a hack to have a functional system just long enough to get paid. Any method when properly installed seems to work fine.

ChrisJ

The thing is..........
Flares have been used for what, a century now?

They're used on very critical stuff too like high pressure fuel lines running 20-30,000 PSI and hydraulic brake lines running who knows what PSI. I used flares on a hydraulic system running 10,000 PSI. I know , they usually have different style flares, but they're still flare connections.

Flares work. They work incredibly well and they're long lasting.

mattmia2

High pressure system use a double flare of some sort.

Flaring is fast if you use a hydraulic tool like this(i think there are versions that will do up to 7/8" cts)
https://www.mastercool.com/product/72485-universal-hydraulic-flaring-tool-set/

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

High pressure system use a double flare of some sort.

Flaring is fast if you use a hydraulic tool like this(i think there are versions that will do up to 7/8" cts)
https://www.mastercool.com/product/72485-universal-hydraulic-flaring-tool-set/

The fuel line on my GDI engine didn't look like a double flare. It is a strange, extra large large bubble flare, but regardless, it is a style of flare with metal to metal contact, not a crimped O ring. In the GDI's case it's only running 2800 PSI. I think the diesels running 20,000-30,000 use a similar style as it has a lot of surface area.

Does anyone make an electric flaring tool?

mattmia2

A bubble flare is sort of a version of a double flare, it still gives it more material for a crack to have to tear through for the joint to fail.

jumper

Another feature of flared (or some other mechanical) connections is that they can be undone. Some jurisdictions forbid them for underground and some insist on mechanical.